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I would say just about everything.I know minds do haha

Well what does your 3 yr old say now? You need to be more specific. Both my kids spoke very early. My 2 yr old speaks in complete sentences now, and so did my 5 yr old when he was that age. At 3 my son spoke like a regular person, to the point people constantly asked me how old he was. He has always had a large vocabulary for his age. So what is your 3 yr old saying, or not saying, that has you concerned. We need more information.

I have a just turned 3 year old and he has regular conversations with us. I think it helps that he has 2 older siblings that he in interacts with. Sometimes I think he knows more than he should for his age.

Your little one should be able to have a full conversation with you about everything. You did tell us much but I will repeat what others have said.

A 3 year old should be talking in complete sentences and full conversations. There may be some words pronounced incorrectly but fairly far and few between. At three I think my son had problems with the word "hospital" translated it into "ha bi due".

Hope this helps.

I agree that we need more info, but at 3 you should be having 2 way conversations with your child. you are only "expected"(by speech standards) to understand 75% of what they're saying, but they should be talking. i don't know what your issues are so take my advice and apply it as you see fit...I've had 2 really early speakers(13months and using sentences) and 2 who spoke later and much less(not really starting until 2 and both needed speech) and my youngest is somewhere in the middle(he just turned 3 this month). If you feel your child is doing more pointing than speaking, do 3 things...1 get the hearing checked, 2 call your school district office and set up a meeting to have your child evaluated(they test for everything at once...and if asked say you are the "refering" person), and 3rdly change the way you speak to your child...stop asking questions that can be answered with a yes or no headnod...don't ask "do you want juice?", but "what would you like to drink?" and demand manners...please, thankyou, excuse me...this reguires them to speak more often(and everyone loves a well mannered person...BONUS) my kids can tug on my leg til the cows come home, but until I hear "excuse me Mom" there is no attention comming from me and my 2 yr old understood this. Another great way to get them to speak is the name game...you pick something up and say what it is, then have them do it...labeling things from shoes to shapes to emotions...you've got to give them a vocabulary before they can begin to use it. Also another quick tip is to have your lil one use a straw as often as possible, it sounds simple but this strengthens their jaw, same with blowing bubbles...do it often and you're helping them get stronger w/o them even knowing. My most important advice is do NOT correct them if they speak incorrectly. For 2 reasons, first they probably don't hear the difference and unless your a speech pathologist odds are you don't know how to correct the problem and more importantly it's a downer and they may stop talking...you can repeat what they said correctly, but don't ask them too...that's all I got for youw/o really knowing your issues, but go through all the hoops and eliminate what's not wrong to find out what is(or isn't). Goodluck!!!

Hi R.,
Your post doesn't give any information on your situation, but a 3 year old should not be "saying" things. This is past the age of number of words, linking words to form a short sentence, etc. A three year old should be speaking, as in, having conversations, not saying random words. They should be fully verbal. If your 3 year old is not, I would suggest having him orher evaluated for speech delay/disorder. Speak with your pediatrician if your child isn't conversing throughout his or her day
Good luck.

Always a good idea to have your child evaluated by a speech therapist if you're not sure. Most health insurance plans cover an evaluation (if speech therapy is needed it depends on the reason if they cover/reimburse). Every state has an "early intervention" program. Someone comes to your home to evaluate. In NJ the school districts take over at age 3 so if you feel he is not talking enough perhaps they can evaluate.
A 3 year old is usually having conversations. Can your child be understood by strangers? If people outside of your family/network cannot understand him then he probably needs a little help.
Have his hearing tested as well.
One of my kids said practically nothing at 3. I got her evaluated at age 2 by the county. They sent a speech therapist (cost was prorated according to income) weekly to my home. Then at 3 I put her in the school district's pre-k program (free) where she received speech 2x per week. She is now in kindergarten and is very verbal and does not need therapy anymore.

It is my understanding/experience that a 3 year old should be able to participate in full conversations, speak in complete sentences, and use appropriate vocabulary. However, I think it's normal for them to articulate sme sounds and words 'incorrectly' or differently, and also they may still be figuring out word order and some word meanings. My son just turned 3 and I can understand everything that he says, a stranger may need a little clarification on some words.

If you have any concerns about your child's communication skills, I think you should speak to your pediatrician. Good luck!